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TCA – Timeshare Consumer Association

The Timeshare Consumer Association (TCA) – Sell-Out and Abuse

The original Timeshare Consumer Association (TCA) was set up by a man named Sandy (Alexander) Grey. He was himself a former timeshare man who later rounded on his former contemporaries. He was often involved in controversy – but in the main seemed to want to work hard on behalf of consumers. The TCA and its website became well known.

Following his death in 2013, the TCA mantle was passed to a solicitor specialising in timeshare -related claims – Stephen Boyd – previously with Linder Myers LLP and currently a partner at Athena Law.

Stephen Boyd did not hold the reins of the TCA for long – but passed them instead to David Cox, who had no previous experience of timeshare. Cox quickly began a series of aggressive and poor quality blogs on the TCA website. His guiding principle seemed to be to attack virtually all timeshare developers – and to back and endorse all businesses that similarly attacked them – the latter including businesses that were and are the subject of many consumer complaints and in at least one instance, a business heavily involved in such serious consumer detriment that the UK authorities took action to close seven related businesses down.

During his tenure controlling the TCA, David Cox also set up the commercial business TESS (Timeshare Exit & Support Services) Ltd.

In truth, from the very beginning, it looked as though Cox lacked the judgement and expertise to be in charge of the TCA. Here is the Facebook page that he started posting requests to help his new Timeshare Consumer Association – alongside vulgar and misogynistic photos – https://www.facebook.com/derby.arms.73?fref=ts Not exactly the work of a professional.

In February 2016, David Cox sold the Timeshare Consumer Association website and all its content to a business called Tolmex Ltd. At the time, he and the new owners claimed that Tolmex was a not for profit charity, The true controlling interest was not disclosed at that time. The Timesharetalk website was also sold to the same company. For some time, Cox chose not to reveal the true identity of the new owners and controllers – Monster / SellMyTimeshare. Thanks to David Cox, consumers seeking help from what is described on the TCA website as a ‘friendly, independent advice’ service, which operates ‘for consumers only’ are actually talking to the much complained about Monster. Cox now seeks to avoid blame for this by attacking the people he sold the TCA site to – well sorry Mr. Cox that won’t cut it because, you recommended Monster / SellMyTimeshatre.tv on the TCA site when you controlled it, you recommended them on your TESS website, TESS took huge sums of money from them – and you handed control of the TCA to them.

David Cox’s old TCA website now attacking him and TESS.

The errors of judgement by David Cox of TESS are now well and truly coming back to haunt him – as the Timeshare Consumers Association (TCA) website that he sold starts publishing serious allegations against TESS.

The TCA site claims that they are receiving complaints from consumers attending the TESS ‘Legal Roadshows’ They allege that TESS promises of timeshare relinquishment are not being honoured- and that complaints to TESS are “met with deaf ears.”

How true is this likely to be? Well whilst there is clear evidence that many of TESS’s ‘termination notices’ are rejected as not being diligently prepared or wrong in their purported legal basis, it has to be remembered that the TCA website is now in the hands of Mark Rowe of Monster? SellMyTimeshare.tv. And how did this come to pass? Oh yes, David Cox / TESS sold it to him – having previously accepted over half a million pounds from Monster in fees.

The TCA site was said by Cox to have been sold to a business called Tolmex Ltd., which he described at the time of the sale as a ‘not for profit charity.’ In reality, he knew Rowe was the buyer

On March 21st, 2016 TESS published this:

“At present the Web Site Timeshareconsumersassociation.co,uk has been acquired by Tolmex Ltd who have promised to use the site to assist consumers and to highlight the many issues surrounding timeshare and associated products.”

Then on July 18th, TESS announced “Timeshare Consumer Association [TCA] is now Directed by Mr. Mark Rowe” – but they knew who they were selling it to – the same people that owned Monster and SellMYTimeshare.tv – the businesses that Cox endorsed, accepted payments from and now says are criminal – saying on the TESS website “you will pay for your crimes and with lengthy prison sentences.”

So Mr Cox – is there any chance of an apology to consumers for:

Cooperating with Monster and being a key part of their operations?

Accepting hundreds of thousands of pounds from Monster in fees?

Not being able to complete legal terminations for the consumers referred to TESS by Monster?

Selling a consumer advice website to people you now accuse as being criminal?

Being conceited enough to ignore all the published warnings that were so visible about the Monster and SellMyTimeshare.tv businesses?